20-Jan-2015Pinpointing the magnetic moments of nuclear matter
Using supercomputing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at Berkeley Lab, a team of nuclear physicists has demonstrated for the first time the ability of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) -- a fundamental theory in particle physics -- to calculate the magnetic structure of some of the lightest nuclei. Their findings are part of an ongoing effort to further our understanding of the universe.

16-Dec-2014A standard for neuroscience data
In November, Neurodata without Borders hosted a hackathon to consolidate ideas for designing and implementing a standard neuroscience file format. And BrainFormat, a neuroscience data standardization framework developed at Berkeley Lab, was one of several candidates selected for further investigation. It is now a strong contender to contribute to the development of a community-wide data format and storage standard for the neuroscience research community.

1-Dec-2014Optimized algorithms boost combustion research
Turbulent combustion simulations, used in the design of more fuel-efficient combustion systems, have gotten their own efficiency boost, thanks to researchers from Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division. They developed new algorithmic features that streamline turbulent flame simulations, which are commonly used in the design of combustion systems such as diesel engines; after testing the enhanced code on NERSC supercomputers, they were able to achieve dramatic improvements in simulation times, which will help reduce the time -- and thus the cost -- of designing new engines.

18-Aug-2014Berkeley Lab's SPOT Suite transforms beamline science
For decades, synchrotron light sources have been operating on a manual grab-and-go data management model, but a recent deluge of data is quickly making this practice implausible. So Berkeley Lab X-ray scientists, facility users, computer and computational scientists, teamed up to create new tools for reducing, managing, analyzing and visualizing beamline data.The result of this collaboration is SPOT Suite, and it is already transforming the way scientists run their experiments at the ALS.

29-May-2014Multidimensional image processing and analysis in R
An esoteric, open-source programming language -- called R -- could pave the way for open science. Thousands of scientists are participating in the R development community, including Berkeley Lab Postdoc Talita Perciano. As a student, she contributed one of the first image-processing tools -- called R Image Processing Analysis -- to the community. Now with big science datasets in mind, she's updated the existing tool with improved features for complex data analysis.

27-Mar-2014Human-induced climate change reduces chance of flooding in Okavango Delta
Researchers at the University of Cape Town, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the United Nations Development Programme have analyzed how human-induced climate change has affected recent flooding in an ecologically and geographically unique river basin in southern Africa -- the Okavango River. After running a number of simulations, they found that greenhouse gas emissions have substantially reduced the chance of the floods in the region.

18-Mar-2014Democratizing science with high-speed networks
For the first time, data collected and analyzed by a very remote user of the Department of Energy's National Center for Electron Microcopy via the Energy Sciences Network has been published. Because of this, scientists are optimistic about the future of remote microscopy for DOE-supported science.

17-Mar-2014A new mathematics for experimental science
In the age of high-resolution detectors and international research collaborations, math has the potential to transform science and accelerate discovery. But this work will require state-of-the-art mathematics, carefully crafted in inventive new ways. That's where the Center for Applied Mathematics for Energy Research Applications (CAMERA) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory comes in.

30-Jan-2014Early Edison users deliver results
Before any supercomputer is accepted at NERSC, scientists are invited to put the system through its paces during an "early science" phase. While the main aim of this period is to test the new system, many scientists are able to use the time to significantly advance their work.

29-Jan-2014NERSC celebrates 40 years at the forefront
This year, the Department of Energy's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) is celebrating yet another milestone: its 40th anniversary.

29-Jan-2014A map made in the heavens
Researchers supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Science have made an incredibly precise map of the universe to better understand dark energy and other wonders within.

27-Jan-2014Deployments of network monitoring software perfSONAR hit 1,000
Finding the network bottlenecks that can slow the flow of science data sets and impede research can be extremely complex, especially as such data transfers cross a multitude of linked networks. But perfSONAR, a network monitoring software package developed jointly by DOE's Energy Sciences Network, national labs, universities and Internet 2, is making that task much easier. In January 2014, the number of perfSONAR instances installed in the US and 13 other countries reached 1,000.

The Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.